


Gone

by Starros



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Strained Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starros/pseuds/Starros
Summary: "He didn't say goodbye," Soundwave says before he can stop himself, stringing clips together so quickly they're almost unintelligible. "He left me."Starscream gently pats his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Relationships: Megatron & Soundwave (Transformers), Soundwave & Starscream (Transformers)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	Gone

**1**

"He'll pull through," Knock Out says, his tone too casual for the direness of the situation, his handling of the repair tools almost lazy and disinterested. "I've seen worse. The Autobots are getting sloppy."

_Worse? How can anything be worse than Lord Megatron brought low, lying here in this horrible state?_

Soundwave hovers over the medical berth like a gloomy spectre, his spark racing as he takes in Megatron's unconscious form. Energon. So much energon. 

_He's dying, he's dying._

Soundwave reaches out trembling fingers toward his dearest friend, pleading silently. 

The doctor shoos him out of the room. "Really, Soundwave. It's a simple stab wound."

***

A cycle later, Megatron is back.

The warmth and relief blooming in Soundwave is overwhelming. Megatron strolls down the hall, his heavy pedesteps shaking the ground, his freshly polished chassis gleaming in the dim light. 

Soundwave steps toward him, but before he can say anything, Megatron brushes him aside, grumbling about something under his breath. 

**2**

_Tap tap tap_

Soundwave stands back, rocking back and forth on his pedes as he stands in front of Megatron's quarters. 

There's no answer. 

He tries again, this time a little bit more forcefully. The sound echoes in the deserted corridor. 

He clutches a large mug of hot energon mixed with minerals. It’s an old recipe from Cybertron. One that takes him back to his days in Kaon when he and Megatron enjoyed the drink together at the tavern after many rough bouts in the pits.

It’s comforting. 

Familiar. 

Megatron finally throws open the door, staring down at him with a servo on his hip. 

Soundwave holds out the energon.

Megatron hesitates, then takes it from him. 

“I certainly needed this after that fool Starscream's antics today.” 

He launches into a rant, which Soundwave eagerly listens to. Megatron is finally talking to him about things other than battle plans, Autobots, and duties around the _Nemesis._

It's something. 

Soundwave hopes Megatron will let him in. Sit down and reminisce about the good times. But, Megatron downs the mug of energon, hands it back to him, and retreats into the darkness of his living space. The sound of the door closing is loud. Crushing. 

Soundwave stands alone for several kliks, the achy feeling in his spark returning. The emptiness. And something else he can't quite place. 

He feels like this a lot these cycles. 

**3**

Megatron is yelling again. 

The sound reverberates off the walls like thunder.

Soundwave curls up tighter in his berth, stroking Laserbeak and trying to calm him even as his own spark races wildly, his venting rapid and shaky. Megatron's fury is becoming more and more explosive, dangerous. 

Soundwave wonders if it will ever be turned loose on him. 

_NO._ Megatron is his friend. 

Soundwave drifts off to sleep, not sure why he keeps lying to himself. Why he insists that the Megatron he knew is still here. 

**4**

"How are you, Lord Megatron?" Soundwave uses audio from Knock Out. 

They’re standing alone on the bridge. The sun is setting, lighting up the clouds below the ship in a brilliant fiery glow. 

Megatron stares straight ahead, his servos clasped behind his back. "I am fine." 

Silence falls between them as Soundwave tries to muster up the courage to keep the conversation going. He brushes a finger over a scuff mark on his arm, fidgeting nervously until the words finally come.

"Do you remember...on Cybertron," he says, the clips choppier than he prefers. "When you saw the sunset for the first time? The poem.” 

Soundwave still remembers every word. He hopes Megatron will recite it again. 

Megatron glances at him out of the corner of his optics, then returns his gaze to the window. "I see no use for this pointless nostalgia." 

**5**

Starscream scurries out of the conference room with a few Vehicons on his heels. He nearly collides with Soundwave.

"You don't want to go in there, trust me," Starscream says as he speeds off, flailing his arms wildly. "That idiot is going to destroy the entire ship!" 

It's true. Soundwave would rather be anywhere else. It pains him to see Megatron devolve into these rage-fueled rampages on such a frequent basis, but he knows he's the only one who can temper them. 

Or at least he used to be. 

He lets out a long exvent, slides the door open... and steps into what looks like the aftermath of a bombing. 

Letting out a static-filled explanation that nearly breaks his longtime vow, Soundwave jerks back, his processor spinning as he takes in the smashed tables and screens. The dents in the walls and floor. The glass strewn everywhere. The streaks of energon. 

And there's Megatron on his knees in the middle of it all, his shoulders heaving with labored vents. 

Soundwave picks his way through the wreckage as Laserbeak sends him alarmed signals. _Stay back! Stay back!_

As soon as Soundwave draws near, Megatron jumps to his pedes and whirls around, his scarlet optics blazing with a wild fury. Soundwave stumbles backward, tripping over a broken chair and tumbling to the ground, wincing as glass cuts into his plating. 

"Every cycle the Autobots outwit us!" Megatron snarls, balling his servos into fists. "Another vital operation botched. What's the use of Decepticon air superiority if these fools..." He breaks off, hurling a chunk of rubble at the wall. 

Soundwave slowly crawls backward, but freezes when Megatron turns to him again. 

"Soundwave, what.." Suddenly, the anger vanishes from Megatron’s face, replaced with confusion. There's a flash of hurt in his optics. 

QUERY: BEGIN CLEANUP? 

Megatron stares at the words on Soundwave's visor. "I....yes." 

The tension slowly seeps from Soundwave's frame. He scrambles to his pedes and gets to work. 

**6**

"I'm leaving," Megatron says. "If we're to win this war, I must reach beyond this pitiful planet."

"I will accompany you." Soundwave uses an old clip from Dreadwing. 

"No. I need you here." 

Soundwave wants to argue. How can Megatron voyage into the starry unknown without _any_ backup? There are a million things that can go wrong. 

"Lord Megatron..." 

"The Decepticons can't run without you," Megatron says firmly. "And you're more valuable when you can keep your optics and audials on Starscream for me."

Soundwave dips his helm despite the distress rising within him. "As you command." 

"Good. You're dismissed. I need to begin my plans." 

When Soundwave doesn't move, Megatron leans forward in his throne, raising a silver optic ridge. 

"How long will you be gone?" Soundwave asks in Breakdown’s voice, his spark clenching.

"I'm afraid I don't have an exact answer to that. However long it takes, I suppose." 

"I'll miss you."

Megatron doesn’t answer.

**7**

"I thought I might find you up here."

Soundwave flinches at the sound of Starscream's gravely voice, drawing his knees up to his chest as the chilly wind whips against his thin plating. He braces himself for the taunts. The cutting remarks he's overheard countless times from fellow Decepticons about how he's a mindless sycophant. How he can't function now that his ‘master’ isn’t around.

But they never come.

Instead, Starscream sits beside him with a heavy sigh. He drums his long fingers on the roof of the _Nemesis._

Soundwave gazes up at the dazzling heavens, that familiar pain in his spark returning. 

It's been three cycles since Megatron departed. 

Three cycles that blended into a melancholic haze. 

He's _gone._

"He didn't say goodbye," Soundwave says before he can stop himself, stringing clips together so quickly they're almost unintelligible. "He left me." 

Starscream gently pats his shoulder. "I'm sorry." 

"He didn't..." Soundwave's words devolve into a jumbled mess as his bottled up emotions finally get the better of him. He doesn't even realize how much he's shaking until Starscream wraps his arms around him, pulling him against his warm chassis. 

"I know it hurts," Starscream murmurs. "I'm afraid the Megatron we knew is dead. It took me a long time to accept it." 

Soundwave clings to Starscream, trembling. _No,_ he thinks. _Megatron will find what he needs out there. Things will turn in a better direction._

One day he’ll stop lying to himself. 

**Author's Note:**

> Had this sitting in my notes for a while, so I thought I'd finally post it.


End file.
